5 Of The Top-Rated Mini Tool Boxes You Can Get At Lowe's

Quality storage is a vital component of any proper workshop. If you leave your tools, parts, and other assorted implements, not only are they more likely to get dirty, but someone could trip over them or drop them on their toes. There's too much delicate work to be had in a working area to worry about it being a proverbial minefield. The obvious solution is to keep all of your odds and ends in some kind of tool box, out of the way and protected from the elements.

However, not all workshops are equally sized. Some may be in a smaller room, or they may be in an area where they have to contend with space, such as a garage. If there's not enough room for a bunch of massive storage chests, you may need to opt instead for smaller, more optimized storage. Luckily, if you pay a visit to your local Lowe's hardware store in person or online, you can find plenty of compact, portable tool boxes, each backed up by the recommendations of Lowe's shoppers. For more information on how we selected our recommended tool boxes, check out the bottom of the page.

If we're talking about space-saving storage, a good angle to approach things from is a tool box that could fit comfortably on a work table or desk. Something with a modest size and simple shape could safely take up one corner of a table without excessively limiting your ability to work on said table. If small, sitting storage is the name of the game, then the Kobalt Mini Tool Box is the MVP.

This bite-sized tool box can fit comfortably on any flat surface, storing tools and components in its two sliding drawers. The top also pops open to reveal an additional storage compartment if you need easy access to a particular item. The whole thing is constructed from impact-resistant polymer with a powder coating finish to help it stand up to wear and tear, while the drawers feature an aluminum trim and friction slides for a similar purpose. Those drawers also have magnetic locks to ensure they don't accidentally slip open.

The Kobalt Mini Tool Box is available at Lowe's for $19.98, where users have given it a 4.5 out of 5-star rating. Users agree that it's a chic and stylish way to store small and simple crafting materials, offering particular praise for the sheer number of attractive colors it comes in to match your workshop decor.

As any organizational enthusiast will tell you, when you run out of room on a table to place things, there's nowhere else to go but up. Stacking storage boxes on top of each other is a decent idea in theory, but unless those boxes are precisely sized, you run the constant risk of having them topple over on you. Luckily, precisely-sized stacking-ready storage options are available from Lowe's in-house brands, with one well-regarded example being the Kobalt Mini-Base Tool Box.

Similarly to the regular Mini Tool Box, the Mini-Base features the same impact-resistant, powder-coated body with magnetic storage drawers, three of them in this case. The major difference is that, instead of a top compartment, the Mini-Base has an open top compartment with a grippy pad. This works nicely on its own as a convenient shelf to hold your most-used tools, but its real purpose is to serve as a docking point for another Kobalt Mini Tool Box. That shelf is perfectly sized to receive the Kobalt Mini Tool Box top, doubling your total storage space without increasing your covered surface area.

The Kobalt Mini-Base Tool Box is available at Lowe's by itself for $24.98 or in a bundle with its companion topper for $44.96. Either way, the product has a 4.5 out of 5 user rating, with users offering similar complements of portability as its counterpart. One user added that their small size and simple design make them good storage options for kids.

As nice as space-optimized storage is, you just can't beat the classics. An old-fashioned tool box gives you a simple and convenient spot to keep all of your gadgets and gizmos. It's great if it can fit comfortably on your crafting table, but it's even better if it's light enough to pick up and take on the road with you. The Craftsman Plastic Tool Box meets that pleasant midpoint between size and functionality.

This classic tool box is made up of tough plastic and features a simple handle to pick it up and carry it around with you. The inside is spacious enough to fit small to mid-sized tools and components, and it comes with a removable tray that you can use to keep your most-used tools readily accessible and to store small parts like screws and bolts. The lid of the box is secured by a pair of all-metal latches, though there's also an eye slot to insert a padlock for extra security.

The Craftsman Plastic Tool Box is available at Lowe's for $21.98, where it's garnered a user rating of 4.5 out of 5. Despite its simple design, customers can attest that it's surprisingly solidly built and easy to carry around, with plastic that doesn't bend or flex even when weighed down.

Remember what we were saying before about optimizing space by stacking upwards? If you're only stacking a couple of things, then a solid shelf is plenty, but if you're looking to start stacking higher than that, then you might need something with a bit more of a solid foundation. If you're looking for a relatively small tool box that can both sit on your work table and serve as that stacking foundation, you might be interested in Craftsman's Versastack line, starting with the Versastack Tool Box.

This deep storage box is large enough to store larger tools, such as corded power tools, while still being less than 20 inches across. The removable tray within can serve as a carrier and organizer for your favorite tools and necessary components, and the whole thing is designed to be more resilient against the elements, with an IP54 waterproof rating on the body and heavy-duty rust-resistant metal latches. The big draw of the Versastack series is the thick latches on top of the lid and mounts on the bottom, which allows you to stack multiple tool boxes and organizers together. If you're looking to get a small stack going on your desk, this tool box can serve as a good anchor point.

The Craftsman Versastack Tool Box is available at Lowe's for $37.98, where users have given it a 4.7 out of 5 review. The box's deep interior makes it great for storing all kinds of tools and utilities, with reported use cases including veterinarians, airgun crafters, and ham radio enthusiasts. The addition of the Versastack system has helped multiple users get their workshops more organized and compartmentalized.

Let's say that you want a tool box with the organizational functions of sliding drawers, but you also want something that can easily snap onto a sturdy, stable stack. If you've already invested in storage options from the Craftsman Versastack system, there's another item that would meet your needs precisely: the Craftsman Versastack 2-Drawer Tool Box.

This tool box features a pair of sliding, ball-bearing drawers designed to endure heavy loads like larger tools or large quantities of small components. Both of these drawers have removable dividers, which you can use to add an additional layer of organization to your storage system. Speaking of systems, as a part of the Versastack line, the 2-Drawer Tool Box can snap onto (or be snapped onto by) any other item in the system to create a stack to your precise preferences. Of course, this box also works just fine by itself with a bi-material handle that can be easily lifted and carried around.

The Craftsman Versastack 2-Drawer Tool Box is available at Lowe's for $41.98, where users have awarded it a 4.7 out of 5 rating. Users like how spacious the drawers are for their size, which makes it easy to store and/or transport large quantities of odds and ends. Several users also like how tightly the drawers will close to prevent item loss.

As the goal here was to have storage that could comfortably fit on a workshop table or in an otherwise cramped nook, we searched around the Lowe's catalog for tool boxes that were less than 20 inches across for ideal sizing. Of course, sizing alone doesn't make a tool box perfect, which is why we also made sure to stick to items with at least a 4 out of 5 user rating based on at least 200 user reviews.